Democrats also brought out the big names to blunt the impact of Romney's visit.

Chief among them, Big Bird. The costumed character held a sign that read "crack down on Wall Street, not Sesame Street."

About a mile away, two former battleground state governors, Ted Strickland of Ohio and Charlie Crist of Florida spoke of their support for President Obama.

"They say if you're chased by an alligator, you should run away in a zig-zag manner. In other words, just follow Mitt Romney because from one day to the next you don't know where he is or where he's going," said Strickland.

Earlier Saturday, Romney and running mate Paul Ryan spoke at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth before making their way to Warren County.

Ryan will bring the ticket back to southwest Ohio Monday. He has scheduled a rally at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati at noon.